Tag Archives: Maryland

“Maryland’s statutory law clearly states that ‘Only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid’ in Maryland. The Maryland Supreme Court upheld the law and stated clearly it was the province of the legislature to change it. What part of the law doesn’t the Attorney General understand? What other laws is he unwilling to enforce? This is an …

Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler issued an opinion today saying that the recognition of same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions is consistent with Maryland state law. This is an amazing development coming just days away from same-sex marriage become legal in Washington DC. From Lambda Legal, via press release: Statement from Susan Sommer, Director of Constitutional Litigation at Lambda Legal: “This …

Due to a 2006 lawsuit, some Maryland high schools have been forced to allow the distribution of “ex-gay” fliers by PFOX. Some Montgomery County high schools passed out fliers this week from an organization that contends gays can become heterosexual through therapy, and the schools say they cannot prevent the use of their distribution system by such groups. The fliers, …

Alarmed by the imminent prospect of happy homo skipping gaily down the aisle in Washington DC and jealous that Harry Bishop wears the mantle of the state’s most famous bigot, Maryland state House Delegate Emmett Burns has introduced a bill that would ban recognition of same-sex marriages from any foreign or domestic jurisdiction. The bill also declares that such unions …

The governors of Maryland and Virginia, both of whom are Catholic, appeared on DC-area radio yesterday to blast DC’s Catholic Charities over the organization’s threat to suspend homeless services should same-sex marriage become legal in the District. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley criticized the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington’s response to the district’s gay marriage proposal during …

Openly gay Annapolis city council candidate Scott Bowling, a Republican, is being smeared as a child molester by an anonymous group urging support for his Democratic opponent. A flier circulated by an anonymous group called ‘Friends and Supporters of Black Annapolis’ attacked Scott Bowling, a Republican running for the Ward 3 City Council seat who is openly gay. It is …

“Death to Obama. Death to Obama, Michelle and her two stupid kids.” The Secret Service took the man into custody outside a town hall meeting on health care reform being held by Sen. Ben Cardin (D) in Hagerstown, Maryland. The Freepers are convinced he was planted by liberals.

Outsiders crowded a meeting of the DC city council yesterday as the council deliberated whether putting a same-sex marriage referendum to voters violates the city’s 1996 Human Rights Act, which lists eight items than can never be put to a popular vote. One Maryland man told that council that discrimination against homosexuals was “positive discrimination” because “all gay sex acts …

The attorney general of Maryland is looking into allowing the state to recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions. Maryland law defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. But the state also sticks to a long-standing legal principle that generally acknowledges couples married elsewhere. Attorney General Doug Gansler’s office is expected to issue an opinion in the …

Maryland is considering removing Civil War expressions like “Northern scum” from their state song. Maryland lawmakers are thinking maybe it’s time to find a way to scrub “Northern scum” — and a few other sensitive pre-Civil War phrases — from the official state song. “Maryland, My Maryland,” set to the traditional seasonal tune of “O, Tannenbaum,” was written in 1861 …

The Washington Post reveals today that the Maryland state police considered the LGBT activism group Equality Maryland to be terrorists. Equality Maryland, the state’s largest gay rights group, was among the peaceful protest groups to be classified as terrorists in a Maryland State Police database. The group was designated a “security threat” by the Homeland Security and Intelligence Division, which …

Has the Maryland state police been infiltrating political activism groups such as Equality Maryland? The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland yesterday demanded that the state police disclose under public information laws whether 32 grass-roots advocacy and political activist groups that have held large public protests in recent years have been targets of spying by undercover agents. Yesterday’s request follows …

Thanks to a judge’s miscalculation in the number of required signatures, Lambda Legal and Equality Maryland have thwarted an attempt to roll back transgender protections via a ballot referendum in Montgomery County, Maryland. “We’re pleased with this victory. The court ruled in our favor in our challenge to this improper referendum,” said Lambda Legal attorney Natalie Chin. “Though the order …

Bolt Bus, Maryland state line, 3pm…. Driver: How the weather back there? Too hot? Too cold? (simultaneously) Male Passengers: It’s HOT! Female Passengers: We’re FREEZING! Hipster In Front: Why don’t we be gentlemen and let the ladies have their way? Female In Back: That’s nice, but you still ain’t gettin’ any.

In Montgomery County, Maryland, the right-wing is using their usual scare tactics to fight the new local ordinance that protects transgenders. From a “prison fellowship” blog, of all places: Mary Ann Andree was drying her hair in the Rio Sport and Health Club in Gaithersburg, Maryland, last month when the door to the women’s locker room suddenly opened. In came …

Saying acceptance of gay marriage was “inevitable,” Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler has become the first statewide-elected official there to endorse marriage equality legislation. Gansler accuses lawmakers of lacking the “political courage” to approve the legislation this year, saying “It’s wrong to discriminate against people, particularly because they think differently or because of their sexuality or because of their gender. …

Maryland legislators will introduce a marriage equality bill tomorrow. Two state senators, including one who is openly gay, will lead efforts to pass the Religious Freedom & Civil Marriage Protection Act in Maryland. Sens. Rich Madaleno and Jamie Raskin, two Democrats from Montgomery County, were to be named as lead sponsors on the bill when it’s introduced. The bill was …

From an op-ed piece in the Annapolis Capital: Here’s how inevitable gay marriage is in Maryland, in one form or another. There was a debate on the issue last week in Annapolis, and the supporters didn’t even bother speaking. True, it wasn’t actually a debate over a marriage or civil union bill; it was a General Assembly committee hearing about …